The Marlborough Bypass(?): letter from Peter Noble

Sirs,

Your April 1st ‘letter’ about the ‘discovery’ of a Marlborough bypass, planned to go through Savernake, was a timely reminder to reopen discussion about the heavy goods vehicles problem. It seems to me there are four options:

1. To build a horrendous flyover from the Common to Postern Hill – No? But it would please the road lobby. A relatively cheap solution that disregards people and their homes.
2. Return to the ideas of bypasses either east or west. They are feasible but would seriously affect the homes of a number of people, if not actually destroying them – so what social price is too high?
3. Think outside the box and ask the question why should the A346 be the focus? South of Burbage is an appalling heavy lorry route and north of Marlborough isn’t much better being quite too narrow. Sadly, lorry drivers seem to blindly follow their satnavs instead of using a road atlas which clearly shows the A34 as the better route for major southern destinations. However, as any solution based on the A346 would necessitate major bypass works for the villages all the way to Salisbury (they too suffer the heavies), it would probably be quicker and cheaper to build a complete new road. Of course that would offend and disrupt many people but as any solution will do that, the idea should not be jettisoned on prejudice.
4. The fourth option is to preserve our countryside and do nothing, and stop complaining, unless people like complaining in which case we’re all happy with things as they are!

Whatever our individual preferences and objections it would be wise for there to be a considered agreed response. It’s not much use individuals shouting ‘boo’ from the sideline if the road lobby imposes a solution on us because we seem uninterested.

Yours,

Peter Noble
Marlborough